British Press Lauds Macdonald Visit, Differ on Purpose

August 9, 1938

LONDON (Aug. 8)

While newspapers today expressed approval of Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald’s secret week-end visit to Palestine, there was sharp divergence on the purpose of his trip. The Daily Telegraph asserted Mr, MacDonald’s conversations with High Commissioner MacMichael were mainly on the subject of security and that there was no question of a change in British policy. The Laborite Daily Herald, on the other hand, declared that apart from the question of security, Mr. MacDonald’s mission was closely connected with major decisions to be announced after the Partition Commission’s report which, the paper said, involves important changes in the proposed plan to divide Palestine into Jewish and Arab states with a British-mandated corridor.